Imagine yourself trail riding solo on your dirt bike for several hours already when suddenly your motorcycle breaks down because of a mechanical malfunction. This breakdown is the nightmare of most of the riders. Although it is common for riders to experience wrecking their bikes due to bad crashes, it is not going to be as embarrassing as having your bike break down because you forgot to maintain your bike properly.
Save yourself the trouble and embarrassment by your bike’s breaking down on the track. Learn to do simple maintenance tasks before and after each ride. It would be best if you have the necessary tools and bike accessories to perform these bike repairs adelaide.
Check your bike’s spokes
One of the most critical parts of your dirt bike is your wheels. When your wheels are not trued, then you might have a hard time riding straight or maneuvering your turns. You should always check if your wheels are trued by regularly checking the tension of your spokes. Most new dirt bikes come with bike accessories such as a spoke wrench, which you can use to adjust the tension and torque of your spokes. Spokes that are too loose may break off and puncture your tire’s tubes.
To check the trueness of your wheels, check the tension of the spokes before and after every ride. If you notice that some of the spokes become loose after your ride, then you might want to check if they need replacing. When tightening the spokes, it is best if you tighten every third spoke in sequence a quarter turn at a time until you completely tighten all the spokes.
Inspect your bike’s bolts
Your bike’s bolts and nuts may come loose from all the bumps and jumps from your ride. It is always a good practice to have the tightness of your bolts checked before and after your trip. Check your bike’s service manual for the recommended torque values of every bolt of your motorcycle. You can purchase a digital torque wrench from a bike accessories shop to give you an accurate reading of how much torque each bolt of your bike has.
Clean your bike’s air filter
Air filters protect your bike’s engine from dust and dirt while allowing the proper airflow to the engine. If your air filter is dirty, the airflow towards your engine will decrease. Reduced airflow to your bike’s engine will lower your engine’s performance reducing its horsepower and acceleration. You do not have to replace your air filters every single time they get dirty. You can save money by cleaning them with air filter cleaning kits that you can get from shops that sell dirt bike accessories.
Check your chain’s slack
Aside from regularly lubing your bike’s chain, you should also check it for proper tension and slack. A chain that is too tight can damage your bike’s sprockets prematurely. On the other hand, a chain that is too loose may whip the gear. Check your service manual to determine the right amount of slack to allow on your chain.
Check your bike’s pivots and joints
The joints of your bike are essential because they protect the bearings that allow your motorcycle to turn smoothly. Always check if joints and pivots are clean and properly sealed. Dirt may enter the seals of the joints and reach the bearings. When this happens, your bearings may become pitted or rusted and eventually seize up.
Regularly checking on these five crucial parts of your bike accessories will enable you to ride with confidence and worry-free.